LONDON (Reuters) - Killer robots could become the weapon of
choice for militants, a British expert said on Wednesday.

Noel Sharkey, professor of artificial intelligence and
robotics at the University of Sheffield said he believed
falling costs would soon make robots a realistic option for
extremist groups.

Several countries and companies are developing the
technology for robot weapons, with the U.S. Department of
Defense leading the way. More than 4,000 robots are deployed in
Iraq.

"The trouble is that we can't really put the genie back in
the bottle. Once the new weapons are out there, they will be
fairly easy to copy," Sharkey will tell a one-day conference
organized by Britain's Royal United Services Institute on
Wednesday.

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"How long is it going to be before the terrorists get in on
the act? With the current prices of robot construction falling
dramatically and the availability of ready-made components for
the amateur market, it wouldn't require a lot of skill to make
autonomous robot weapons."

Sharkey said a small GPS-guided drone with autopilot could
be made for about 250 pounds ($490).